West Virginia Salvages Series with Gutsy Performance vs. Texas

After dropping a doubleheader on Saturday, Mountaineers remained poised and beat Texas in the series finale

Granville, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (27-18, 10-8) produced eight runs on 11 hits to salvage the series versus the Texas Longhorns (34-17, 11-10) Saturday 8-6 after the Texas pitching staff held the Mountaineers to a combined eight hits and two runs in both losses in the doubleheader on Saturday. 

Dayne Leonard led the Mountaineers going 2-3 with four RBIs while Grant Hussey slid down to the eighth spot and delivered with three RBIs on three hits. 

Texas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Douglas Hodo III smacked a line drive right back to West Virginia starting pitcher Zach Bravo, which ricocheted off the right-hander for a single. Todd Austin drew a walk before Ivan Melendez ripped a ground-rule double down the left field line. Stehly Murphy plated a run with a sacrifice groundball to short. Bravo walked Silas Ardoin, ending his day as WVU head coach Randy Mazey handed the ball to Chase Smith. 

Smith recorded the second out of the inning on a flyout from Skyler Messinger before Dylan Campbell brought in the third run, slipping a ground ball through the right side for an RBI single. 

West Virginia tied the game in the second after McGwire Holbrook drove a leadoff single into the gap in left-centerfield, Nathan Blasick drew a walk, and Grant Hussey ripped a two-RBI single to right field. Then, Tevin Tucker smacked a triple into the corner in leftfield, tying the game at three. 

Texas reclaimed the lead in the fourth when consecutive singles from Messinger and Cambell to leadoff the inning set up Hodo for a two-RBI single to take a 5-3 lead. Trey Braithwaite came into the inning with two outs, intentionally walked Melendez to load the bases before getting out of the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Dayne Leonard drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning before Hussey went opposite with a double in to left field to get the Mountaineers back within a run.

In the sixth, Holbrook, again, would leadoff the inning with a single, Braden Barry was struck by a pitch on a 2-2 count, Ben Abernathy beat the throw to first on a bunt, loading the bases before Dayne Leonard went opposite with a sharp ground ball down the first base line for a three-RBI double as the Mountaineers grabbed a 7-5 advantage. 

Ben Abernathy drove a double off the upper section of the left field wall to begin the bottom of the eighth before Dayne Leonard provided a little cushion, plating Abernathy with a single into left field. 

Braithwaite allowed just two hits through the eighth innings with four strikeouts before Mazey pulled the Navy transfer for Noah Short after an error at short to begin the ninth put Murphy at first. 

Ardoin singled and a pair of fielder's choices scored a run, but O'Dowd grounded to short to end the game as the Mountaineers take the series finale 8-6.

West Virginia is back in action Tuesday as the Pitt Panthers make their way to Morgantown for the third and final game edition of the 2022 Backyard Brawl with the first pitch set for 6:30. WVU and Pitt have split the first two meetings. 

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